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 LASG LAUNCHES DRUG ABUSE PREVENTIVE ADVOCACY The Lagos State Ministry of Youth and Social Development, held a sensitisation session under its Drug Abuse Preventive Advocacy (DAPA) initiative, a key component of the Lagos State Kick Against Drug Abuse (LASKADA) campaign, aimed at educating and empowering communities to address the scourge of drug abuse effectively. Addressing attendees at the sensitisation session, physically and virtually, at the T-Block Conference Room of the Ministry of Chieftaincy and Local Government Affairs, Alausa, the Commissioner for Youth and Social Development, Mr. Mobolaji Ogunlende charged the advocates to view the assignment as a profound service to humanity and a significant contribution to the growth and well-being of the State. “This is more than a task but a mission to safeguard our future. I urge you to approach this advocacy with passion and a sense of duty”, he remarked. The Permanent Secretary, Pharm. Toyin Oke-Osayintolu commended the advocat...

 WELCOME ADDRESS BY THE DIRECTOR OVERSEEING THE OFFICE OF THE PERMANENT SECRETARY, FEDERAL MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION, AT THE 48TH NATIONAL COUNCIL OF INFORMATION AND NATIONAL ORIENTATION HOLDING IN KADUNA STATE, NIGERIA Protocol It is with great pleasure that I welcome you all to the 48th National Council of Information and National Orientation, hosted in the historic and hospitable Kaduna State. Our profound appreciation goes to His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Kaduna State, Mallam Uba Sani, for his unwavering support and for graciously providing the enabling environment for this significant gathering. Kaduna was one of our recent hosts during the 46th Council and after a quiet period of seven years, it is hosting again. This shows the commitment of the state to the cause of information and communication management for which we remain grateful. 2.​Today’s theme, "Enhancing Public Information Management for Inclusive Governance: The Renewed Hope Age...

 Ogun First Lady Inaugurates Sexual Assault Referral Centre for GBV Survivors On December 12, 2024, Mrs. Bamidele Abiodun, the First Lady of Ogun State, inaugurated a Sexual Assault Referral Centre (SARC) in Ijebu Ode, aimed at providing crucial support to survivors of gender-based violence (GBV). The initiative, part of the Ogun State Economic Transformation Project supported by the World Bank, underscores the state's commitment to justice, care, and rehabilitation for GBV victims. Mrs. Abiodun, who chairs the Violence Against Persons Prohibition (VAPP) Law Management Committee, highlighted the success of the VAPP Law in empowering communities and increasing successful prosecutions. Stakeholders, including the World Bank, emphasized the project's broader role in promoting economic development and gender equality.

 150mw to be added to National Grid before year end — Adelabu The Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, says Nigeria is on track to add 150mw to the national grid before the end of 2024. Adelabu said this on Thursday while briefing State House Correspondents after a closed-door meeting with German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier and President Bola Tinubu at the Presidential Villa in Abuja. According to him, the upgrade will be made due to the successful completion of the pilot phase of the Presidential Power Initiative (PPI). “We have completed the pilot phase of this project, up to 80%. This involves the importation, installation, and commissioning of 10 power transformers and 10 powermobile substations. They’ve been imported. They’ve been installed, and lots of them have been commissioned. We have just about two left to be commissioned before the end of the year,” the minister said. “The positive impact of this is that it has added nothing less than 750 megawatts to our transmiss...

 Users stranded as Facebook, Instagram experience outage, Meta apologises In a major disruption affecting millions of users, Meta’s key apps, including Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp, have been down for many users globally. Reports flooding in on social media, including X (formerly Twitter), confirmed that the issue is widespread, with many users unable to load their accounts or post content. Downdetector, a platform that tracks outages, has also shown massive spikes in outage reports across Meta’s services. The platform reports that Instagram has logged over 71,000 issues, while Facebook has received more than 107,000 reports from around the world. On Facebook, users have reportedly been greeted with a message reading, “We’re working on getting this fixed as soon as we can.” The outage has also sparked a flurry of activity on X, with users turning to the platform to check if others are facing the same issue. The hashtag #instagramdown has been trending on X within the period. S...

 Why Nigerians run to VDM for help instead of government – Skales Nigerian singer Raoul John Njeng-Njeng, well known as Skales has voiced worry about the declining faith in the government. He remarked that people are increasingly seeking justice from other citizens such as activist VeryDarkMan rather than the government’s institutions. On his X handle, Skales wrote, “It’s crazy what is going on in Nigeria … imagine where the citizens cannot run to the government but to a fellow citizen like VDM for help ….smh!! God bless & protect him tho.” Recently, more residents have resorted to activists like VeryDarkMan for justice. Skales earlier revealed a sad experience with police officers who stopped him and demanded ‘Christmas’ money. According to the singer, the police officers made the request and after he refused, they reportedly threatened to delay him and search his vehicle.

 Tinubu showing remarkable tolerance for opposition – Bwala Daniel Bwala, Special Adviser on Policy Communications to President Bola Tinubu, said his principal has shown remarkable tolerance for the opposition amid intense criticism. Bwala, in a post on his X handle on Tuesday, said Tinubu is making progress on his promise to reform Nigeria, adding that the worst days of hardship in the country are over. According to him, the economy is on the path to recovery and growth. Bwala said: “Earlier today, as the Special Adviser on Policy Communications, I was privileged to share that President Bola Tinubu’s administration is committed to driving positive change in Nigeria. “In my interview with Silverbird TV, I emphasized the President’s dedication to transparency and fiscal responsibility. “Asiwaju is making progress on his promise to reform Nigeria, and I’m confident that our worst days are behind us. “The President has consistently settled debts, demonstrating his commitment to fiscal...